Broody Hen Help

[CayleeMarie03]

Hi I have a broody hen who was sitting on her eggs well 1 egg yesterday. But I think another hen kicked her out yesterday to lay an egg. So I was hoping my broody would come back but she didn't. So I started thinking she has to get here clutch of egg first.So is that true??? How many eggs will she have to lay/gather to start setting?? Has anybody left there broody hen in with the rest of there flock??? I have a flock of 26 birds who free range during the day. Only some of the chicks come in to eat and one of my leghorns has a bad leg(she had it when we got her). So she will mostly be by herself during the day. Only when the othe hens come in to lay there eggs. But we have 6 other nesting boxes for the 14 adult hens but only 5-7 are laying at the moment.

 

[Stephanie739]

How long had she been sitting? I love broodies, and always hope that when they stay in the nest a little longer than I think they would normally stay, that they have gone broody...that has only happened once. And the chicks are hatching now! Yay..

My point: are you sure she was sitting on the one egg to hatch it? If she is really broody, she will sit on other eggs. Give her some (or golf balls) and see what she does.

 

[Lookin4space]

Make sure it is a broody hen on not a omega hen (hen-pecked).

A broody hen will make this cute, clucking sound, and is hard to push off the nest. Often they will not only sit on their own eggs, but will move other eggs over into their own nest and sit on them too.

However, an omega (hen-pecked) hen might seek refuge from abuse from the alpha and beta hens ( the ones that look healthy and peck the omegas) in the nesting area. They look pecked (missing feathers) and act skitish. They even turn into egg eaters because the other hens wont let them feed with them.

I free range mine and I still get the occasional omega.

 

[CayleeMarie03]

She started setting the day before yesterday but another hen laid and egg that broke 1 of the my broodys eggs. So I took out the eggs. Then yesterday she laid one and started setting on that one. When I went to take it from he rshe puffed up and pecked my hand. That was a hard peck. It ripped a small piece of skin off my finger. I really want her to hatch some eggs.

 

[CayleeMarie03]

Make sure it is a broody hen on not a omega hen (hen-pecked).

A broody hen will make this cute, clucking sound, and is hard to push off the nest. Often they will not only sit on their own eggs, but will move other eggs over into their own nest and sit on them too.

However, an omega (hen-pecked) hen might seek refuge from abuse from the alpha and beta hens ( the ones that look healthy and peck the omegas) in the nesting area. They look pecked (missing feathers) and act skitish. They even turn into egg eaters because the other hens wont let them feed with them.

I free range mine and I still get the occasional omega.

My hens free range too. But I think this hens sometimes pick on the others and she is skittish around me. She is not missing any feathers. So I am hoping she is just gathering her eggs first.

 

[Stephanie739]

She started setting the day before yesterday but another hen laid and egg that broke 1 of the my broodys eggs. So I took out the eggs. Then yesterday she laid one and started setting on that one. When I went to take it from he rshe puffed up and pecked my hand. That was a hard peck. It ripped a small piece of skin off my finger. I really want her to hatch some eggs.

Some of my hens peck at me and puff up when they are laying their eggs, or just after laying, but after awhile they get up and go about their business. Does she sleep on the perch or in the box?

 

[Stephanie739]

My buff brahma has fooled me several times thinking she is going broody. She puffs and growls when she is in the box (if I touch her) She ACTS broody, but she only stays for a little while after laying her egg, maybe up to an hour. Once, thinking about the omega post, this same buff brahma didn't want to leave the coop area for a couple days, so again I thought she must be broody. She was only staying put because the roosters were messing with her too much. She is very timid (when not laying an egg) and a favorite of my roosters (too many roosters)

Now that I really think about it, this buff brahma acts more textbook broody than the actual austalorp hatching babies now. My australorp rarely growls or pecks even when I try to look at her new babies (hatching now!) My brahma is crazy lol

 

[CayleeMarie03]

Well That one I thought my broody is not broody. Will the egg she laid on for a while. Will that effect the egg if another hens start setting with that egg??

 

[CayleeMarie03]

My buff brahma has fooled me several times thinking she is going broody. She puffs and growls when she is in the box (if I touch her) She ACTS broody, but she only stays for a little while after laying her egg, maybe up to an hour. Once, thinking about the omega post, this same buff brahma didn't want to leave the coop area for a couple days, so again I thought she must be broody. She was only staying put because the roosters were messing with her too much. She is very timid (when not laying an egg) and a favorite of my roosters (too many roosters)

Now that I really think about it, this buff brahma acts more textbook broody than the actual austalorp hatching babies now. My australorp rarely growls or pecks even when I try to look at her new babies (hatching now!) My brahma is crazy lol

Okay I have another hen that i thought was broody she sits there and screams and growls when I stick my hand in the box she will peck it and if i don't pull back right away she garb and shake my hand/finger all around. So I think she is doing what your brahma did.


Where My other hen was sitting yesterday I have a new ISA Brown sitting on 3 eggs. When she jumped in the nest she went and settled right over the eggs. Now she is always shifting and looking down at them. Is she a real broody?? Should I give her any more eggs laid by other hens??

 

[CayleeMarie03]

Well My ISA Brown stopped setting too. I think it is because the other hens are mean to her and don't like her in the nest. I am hopefully going to build a little spot for her where the other hens can't reach her. They will be able to see each other though. I hope it works and she hatches some eggs!